St. John Lady Tigers Tara Christie and Jamie Waters fight for the ball as Alexis Witt offers backup.

By Barry Ragan

Feb. 13, 2013
4:11 p.m.

The St. John Tigers came away 1-1 playing the host Word of Life Fire on Tuesday, with the Lady Tigers mauling the Lady Fire 56-8 and allowing just one basket and six free throws while the Tiger men lost their first game of the season to a very athletic Fire team 52-66.
Right from the start the Lady Fire found out what "Tiger defense" means, and they didn't seem to like it very much. St. John-Hudson forced eight Fire turnovers and literally gave no good looks at the basket as they took a 12-0 first quarter lead.
That continued into the second quarter as the Lady Tigers built a 34-7 lead, allowing the Fire their only basket for the game. St. John's Teresa Christie started what was to be a big night, making her 13th point while Jamie Waters canned her second 3-pointer for the half. Morgan Osborne made three baskets.
The Tigers continued their onslaught, building a 54-7 lead at the end of three. Teresa Christie added her 22nd point and Jessica Hanson hit two 3-pointers.
Committing eight more turnovers in the quarter, the Fire didn't score until the final quarter, making a single free throw - the Lady Tigers winning 56-8. Christie made her game-high 24th point.
The Tiger men had a good first quarter with Spencer Nusser leading the way with nine points, one a 3-pointer. Zuriel Reyes and Ethan Long each canned a three and made a basket, putting St. John ahead 20-16.
Other than four free throws and a basket in the second quarter, the Tigers didn't do much scoring until the third when Dean Wade made three baskets and a free throw and Reyes canned his second three. The score at the end of three had St. John behind 38-51.
The Tigers tried to make up the difference in the fourth quarter with Long getting four points, Wade with five, one a 3-pointer and Reyes maing his third three, but the Fire's transition game was just too much for St. John, the #1 in 1A Tigers taking their first loss of the season 52-66.
While the Tigers made about the same number of 3-pointers (6 for St. John - 7 for Word), and made five more free throws, the number of 2-point baskets made was the difference with St. John making 12-18 for 67 percent compared to Word's 20-34 for 59 percent.